FAR OUT

Astronomers Capture Birth of Planets

Some 450 light years away.

Science is amazing. Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile have captured an image of planets forming. The image shows a planetary system forming in HL Tau, a star 450 light years away. Scientists have known there was an embryonic planet orbiting the star, but they hadn’t been able to observe it being formed. “When we first saw this image we were astounded at the spectacular level of detail. HL Tauri is no more than a million years old, yet already its disc appears to be full of forming planets. This one image alone will revolutionize theories of planet formation,” Catherine Vlahakis, ALMA Deputy Program Scientist.